addiction

American  

[uh-dik-shuhn] / əˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

1. the state of being compulsively committed to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

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addiction British  

/ əˈdɪkʃən /

noun

1. the condition of being abnormally dependent on some habit, esp compulsive dependency on narcotic drugs

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addiction Scientific  

/ ə-dĭk′shən /

1. A physical or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, such as a drug or alcohol. In physical addiction, the body adapts to the substance being used and gradually requires increased amounts to reproduce the effects originally produced by smaller doses.

2. See more at withdrawal

3. A habitual or compulsive involvement in an activity, such as gambling.

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Sensitive Note

See addict.

Other Word Forms

• overaddiction
  noun

Etymology

Origin of addiction

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin addictiōn- (stem of addictiō ) “a giving over, surrender”; see addict, -ion

Explanation

An addiction is an abnormally strong craving for something, which can sometimes grow so strong you have trouble living without it. People will sometimes use the word addiction casually, like, "I have a major addiction to chocolate! Yummy!" But the word's true meaning is more serious, and refers to something that isn't so yummy, like an alcohol or drug addiction. When someone has an addiction to smoking, for example, they might not be able to stop smoking even if it causes them to get sick.

Example Sentences

After all, people struggle with addiction and mental health in lots of cities, but those places don’t have the high rates of homelessness as Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Through her work she has seen that "experiences in early childhood are often the root cause of today's hardest social challenges, such as addiction, family breakdown, poor mental health, suicide and homelessness," the foundation says.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

“What looks like addiction is usually a shift in how reward is structured in a teenager’s life,” O’Reilley told me.

From Slate • May 12, 2026

“YouTube is not a social-media site,” a spokesman for the video platform’s parent company said last month after it lost a major trial focused on social-media addiction.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

It’s not the same thing as religion being true—that is a different question—but more speaks to the value of providing something people truly believe, at least in the case of addiction.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel